Mother-of-one Kelly had appeared to be leading an enviable life with a caring husband, beautiful daughter and finally the figure she'd always longed for after going from 30 stone to just 10-and-a-half stone.

But as the pounds dropped off following a gastric bypass in 2015, she became a different person plagued by even darker thoughts.

Despite achieving her dream of being slim, Kelly’s new body did not bring her the happiness she expected.

Kelly Burndred

It soon became clear that her fixation with her size which started as a young girl was just a symptom of her own internal struggle with her mental health.

After two unsuccessful suicide attempts, Kelly took her own life in April this year in a cop-cat of a well-known Hollywood star.

'Kelly suffered most of her life...'

Gareth, aged 37, from Chesterton, said: “Kelly had suffered most of her life. On the outside, she was very bubbly and confident and had loads of friends. But inside, she was struggling.

“After our daughter was born she had crippling post-natal depression but she overcame it, or so we thought.

Kelly Burndred (Image: Submitted)

“We hoped, after the gastric bypass, that Kelly would find the happiness she craved. But her depression got much worse. She had blamed all her problems, all her life, on her weight. So when she became thin, and she wasn’t happy, she felt like there was nowhere else to turn.

“I want to stress how important it is to speak out. I just hope that Kelly’s story, and the support group, will help to save another life.”

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Gareth said: “The surgery was a big step and it was a worry, but I knew how desperate she was. I just hoped this would help to make her happy.”

Kelly seemed to cope well with the surgery and her weight dropped to just over ten stones.

A photo taken of Kelly and Gareth after they first met (Image: Submitted)

But her hair fell out, which was a recognised side effect.

Gareth said: “She had a weave done, to cover up her bald patches. When I collected her from the salon she looked so young and beautiful and I told her how much I loved her. I will always remember that moment.”

But following the surgery, Kelly’s character changed.

Gareth said: “After the weight loss, Kelly changed mentally as well as physically. I really felt as though she was two people and I knew she felt the same.

Kelly and Gareth Burndred

“She would say: ‘I know I should be happy now, but I’m not.’ She was scared of reaching her goal weight because she didn’t want the journey to end.

“Now she had got what she wanted, she didn’t want it. All her life, she had blamed everything on her weight, and now she was thin and she realised her problems were still there.

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Gareth said: “She was very self-conscious about her excess skin and she refused to let me see her naked. She asked for surgery but the GP couldn’t help.”

Kelly with husband Gareth

Eight months ago, Gareth was woken during the night to find Kelly running a bath and carrying an extension lead into the bathroom. She admitted she was planning to kill herself.

'I was panic stricken...'

He said: “I was panic stricken. I began keeping an eye on her and we asked for a mental health appointment, but there was a two-month wait which was incredibly frustrating.

“I began keeping a close eye on her. But another night, whilst I was sleeping, she slipped out of the house. I had to call the police and they found her, not far away. She admitted she had been planning to jump from a bridge. I was out of my mind with worry.

Kelly and Gareth on their wedding day

“Kelly’s parents, Bryan and Doreen, kindly offered to pay for a private consultation and in April she finally saw a consultant. She was prescribed medication and I finally felt a sense of relief. I really felt she was making progress.

“Two days later, there was a TV programme about a Hollywood star’s suicide.

“Kelly made a point of us watching it together. Looking back, I wonder if this was a warning sign. I wonder if it is something I could have picked up on.

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“The next night, Jess was staying over with her grandparents. Kelly and I watched a film, and we had a couple of glasses of wine and afterwards, we made love. It was a really special evening.

“Again, looking back, I wonder if she had planned this – knowing what was coming next. I just don’t know.

Kelly at her graduation

“Late that night, we lay in bed in each other’s arms, and Kelly said she couldn’t sleep and she wanted to go downstairs. I made her promise to come back to bed in an hour. I didn’t want her up all night, worrying.

“I could hear her downstairs, I thought maybe she was on the phone, and eventually, I drifted off to sleep.”

Gareth woke early the following morning for work, and Kelly’s side of the bed was empty.

'I felt certain the paramedics would save her...'

He said: “I just thought she had slept downstairs. I went to find her and I saw her, lying on the floor, behind our French doors. But I still thought she was asleep.

“I went over to her and said her name. But, as I touched her leg, it was stone cold and I panicked. I was pleading with her to wake up.

“I grabbed my phone to call an ambulance. I felt certain the paramedics would save her.”

Kelly with baby Jess

Kelly could not be saved and she was pronounced dead that morning aged just 37.

Gareth said: “I can't get that out of my head. It's something I wake up in the night with.

"Telling Jess was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I drove to her grandparents and I broke the news. We sobbed, but she has been incredibly brave since. She and I are helping each other through this.

“I feel guilty, that I couldn’t save Kelly, that I didn’t spot the signs – if there were any. But at the same time, I know I did everything I could.”

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Gareth and his family have now set up Kelly’s Legacy, a group dedicated to raising awareness of mental health issues and encouraging people to talk about their problems, as well as raising cash for Hanley mental health charity ‘Younger Mind’.

Gareth, and Jess have been out to place personalised notes on bridges around their home, encouraging people who might be thinking of taking their own life to get help.

The family of Kelly Burndred have set up a charity, known as Kelly's Legacy, in memory of her and to raise awareness of suicide and mental health. (Image: Stoke Sentinel)

Gareth added: "I'm hoping Kelly's story can inspire people to open up and talk about their problems. This is more about raising awareness than raising funds.

“We need more help and more resources for mental health. But more than anything, we need to talk. Even if one life is saved, that will be Kelly’s legacy and she would be very proud."

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An inquest is set to be held into Kelly's death later this year.

If you are experiencing mental health problems, feeling suicidal, or are concerned about someone else, support is available. Speak with your GP, who can refer into appropriate local services, contact the Staffordshire Mental Health Helpline on 0808 800 2234 for out-of-hours support, or call the Samaritans on 116 123 for a listening ear 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.